Istanbul + Tbilisi: two weeks on one ticket
Istanbul is the connection point for half the routes out of Russia, and Tbilisi is two hours further. Instead of a layover you get the second half of a holiday.
Why it works
Half the itineraries route through Istanbul anyway, and Istanbul–Tbilisi flights are cheap and about two hours long. For Russian passports both countries are visa-free with room to spare — Turkey for 60 days per entry (90 within 180), Georgia for a full year. As multi-city trips go, this is the simplest one in the region.
How to split the days
Four nights in Istanbul, five in Tbilisi. Istanbul needs more than three days: Sultanahmet, the Bosphorus, Kadıköy on the Asian side and at least one day with no plan. Tbilisi works as a base — Mtskheta is half an hour away, the Kakheti wine region two hours, Kazbegi three. Add a night or two in the day planner if you want the mountains.
When to go
April–May or September–October, with autumn the better half: grape harvest in Kakheti, cooler Istanbul, noticeably fewer tourists. Summer means 32–35 °C and queues in both cities; winter in Tbilisi is damp but cheap, and the pass to Kazbegi can close with snow.
Check before you book
Direct flights to Tbilisi are not available from every city and schedules change — the planner compares routes via Istanbul against direct ones. If a connection in a third country appears, check the transit rules: leaving the transit zone sometimes requires a visa even when both endpoints are visa-free.
Moscow → Istanbul → Tbilisi
Route and nights go into the form — adjust the date and passengers.